Music
Sun Ra, The Eternal Myth Revealed: Volume One – 1914-1959 (Transparency Records)
Pianist, bandleader, arranger and Afro-Futurist Sun Ra was thought to be a decidedly non-mainstream figure in the jazz world as he directed his Arkestra throughout the last half of the […]
Dr. Michael White, Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part 2 (Basin Street Records)
Part Two of Dr. White’s exhilarating and euphoric musical adventures, which have been not so much “in” New Orleans jazz as “with” it, display a distinctly domestic character, particularly in […]
Sonny Landreth, Elemental Journey (Landfall Records)
One of my favorite Sonny Landreth moments was hearing him perform the instrumental “Z Attack” at a Wednesday at the Square concert, as the raw electricity of his sound and […]
Debbie Davis, It’s Not the Years, It’s the Miles (Threadhead Records)
Debbie Davis is generally recognized as possessing one of the most beautiful voices in a city filled with talented singers. Her work with the Pfister Sisters, on her own and […]
Sarah Quintana, The World Has Changed (Independent)
Anyone with a pair of ears can tell that Sarah Quintana possesses a rare talent. The golden-voiced chanteuse has amassed a formidable following here in her hometown of New Orleans […]
Les Frères Carrière & The Lawtell Playboys, La La Louisiana Black French Music (Maison de Soul Records)
Folklorist Nick Spitzer, now of American Routes radio fame, made these home recordings of Les Frères Carrière and the Lawtell Playboys in 1976 that were released commercially the following year. […]
Mississippi Rail Company, Coal Black Train (Independent)
In the last year, the Mississippi Rail Company has been generating some buzz for its live show, and its debut album, Coal Black Train, hints at what people are hearing […]
Lil’ Wayne and Same Ol’ Two Step, I Bring It (Shrimpo Music)
As evidenced by the pounding title track, Lil’ Wayne can bring it all right. But what he brings mostly on his fourth disc is a contemporary slant to his otherwise […]
Treme: The Complete Second Season DVD (HBO Home Entertainment)
Watching the second season of Treme again, I’m struck by the quality of the casting. Making DJ Davis a small man as played by Steve Zahn gives him an underdog […]
Randy “19th Street Red” Cohen, Avenue Boogie (Redtop Recording)
I’m told Randy “19th Street Red” Cohen hails from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and busks in front of the Superdome before Saints games. His guitar style is primitive but attractive, […]
